According to EP 265 699 fats with a superior digestibility and absorptivity are obtained, when these fats are composed of triglycerides having a specific amount of C.sub.8 to C.sub.14 fatty acid residues at the 2-position, while residues with C.sub.18 or higher fatty acids are bonded at the 1.3-positions. Typical examples of the C.sub.18 and higher fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentenoic acid and dodecahexenoic acid. However nothing is disclosed about fat compositions that combine in the fat saturated fatty acid residues and at least two different long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid residues and that have structering properties. In WO 90/04012 it is disclosed that triglycerides that contain saturated C.sub.8 /C.sub.10 fatty acid residues in 1.3 and simultaneously a polyunsaturated fatty acid residue (in particular DHA) in the 2-position, have beneficial nutritional properties, in particular for enteral or parenteral purposes. However again, nothing is disclosed about fat compositions that contain in the fat specific amounts of saturated and two different polyunsaturated fatty acid residues and that have structering properties.
From WO 94/00044 it is known that fatblends that contain unhardened fish oil have significant health benefits. Fish oil often contains appreciable amounts of two different polyunsaturated fatty acids, e.g. DHA and EPA. However it is also known that fish oil has a number of draw backs. A particular disadvantage of fish oils being that they do not have structuring properties, which makes it difficult to apply them in fat compositions wherein a structuring agent is required in order to give the fat composition a performance, that is desired to make the fat applicable in foodproducts.
Toyoshima c. s. disclosed in Journ. of the Japan Oil chem Soc 42 (11), 1993, pages 30-35 a transesterification process, applying Mucor miehei as enzyme of a fish oil, such as sardine oil, EPA concentrated oil or DHA concentrated oil with polyunsaturated fatty acids. This resulted in triglycerides with about 62% of PUFA in it. It is further disclosed that EPA was incorporated more easily than DHA. Therefore triglycerides high in DHA were made by an additional transesterification in the fish oil/PUFA system. This document therefore does not disclose triglycerides rich in a first LCPUFA and containing a second LCPUFA in a weight ratio of &gt;2, which triglycerides further contain saturated C.sub.14+ fatty acids.
Endo in Bioscience Biotechn Biochem 57 (12) 1993, pages 2202-2204 discloses that sardine oil can be stabilized by interesterification with saturated or mono-unsaturated fatty acids. However, the effects with stearic acid are very low. As a result of the enzymic interesterification the total amount of LCPUFA in sardine oil (was 20%) decreased to 17.5 wt % if stearic acid groups were introduced. Therefore, this document does not teach triglycerides rich in a first LCPUFA and also containing a second LCPUFA in a ratio of &gt;2, while also at least 15 wt % C.sub.14+ saturated fatty acids were present in the triglycerides.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,291 can be concluded that triglycerides, rich in EPA with good properties to make them suitable for margarine applications can be obtained by a process wherein EPA-ester is converted with a "higher fatty acid" triglyceride. Higher fatty acid triglycerides are defined as saturated or unsaturated C.sub.14+ fatty acid triglyceride.
They include palmitic, stearic but also oleic, linoleic, EPA and DHA. However, this method will never result in triglycerides containing two different LCPUFA's in a ratio of &gt;2, while simultaneously saturated C.sub.14+ fatty acid will be present. Moreover this document does not disclose the impact of the C.sub.18:0 /C.sub.16:0 -ratio in the products on the structurering properties of the fats.
EP 271,909 discloses triglycerides, wherein simultaneously three different fatty acid residues are present. These residues are selected from C.sub.20 -C.sub.22 saturated or (poly)unsaturated fatty acids; C.sub.14 -C.sub.18 saturated or unsaturated fatty acids and C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. The products never comprise two different LCPUFA's in a ratio of &gt;2 in combination with &gt;15 wt % saturated C.sub.14+ fatty acid.